The risk of cirrhosis of the liver has always been linked to heavy alcohol consumption, without the regularity of this consumption being called into question. On the contrary, it has been shown that a daily consumption of wine at the rate of one drink per day would have positive repercussions on health cardiovascular.
However, it seems that moderate daily consumption also increases the risk of cirrhosis, according to a study from the University of Denmark, published in the Journal of Hepatology.
Danish researchers carried out an assessment of the risk of cirrhosis on a sample of 55,917 people aged 50 to 64, participants in a large Danish study conducted from 1993 to 2011. By questionnaire, the participants entered their eating habits, their lifestyle, their consumption of alcohol, tobacco or their physical activities. They also underwent a medical examination including measurement of the waist circumference. Alcohol consumption was reported to be an average per week, depending on the type of drink (beer, wine, hard liquor). The participants also recorded their alcohol consumption over several age periods (20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years and 50-59 years).
With all this data, the scientists were able to calculate the risk ratios of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver depending on the size and frequency of consumption, “lifetime” consumption and the type of drinks consumed.
Of the 55,917 people, 257 men and 85 women developed alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, which corresponds to 66 men and 19 women per 100,000 people per year. Unsurprisingly, no case of alcoholic cirrhosis has been observed in lifelong abstainers.
The analysis then shows that in men, daily consumption increases the risk of cirrhosis more than less regular consumption (5 times a week for example). In addition, recent alcohol consumption predicts risk better than “lifetime” consumption time. The consumption of beer and strong alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cirrhosis compared to the moderate consumption of wine.
“Since we do not know in detail how alcohol induces liver damage, we can only assume that daily consumption of alcohol worsens damage to the liver, or inhibits its regeneration,” suggest the authors of the ‘study. This conclusion therefore agrees with the recommendations of the British Royal College of Physicians in 2011, which called on alcohol lovers to refrain from drinking at least three days a week to let the liver regain strength, in addition to limiting the amount of alcohol. alcohol ingested.
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